


the day that could've

by orphan_account



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: ? - Freeform, Addiction, Brining People Back, But also, Emotions and Sadness, Getting Sober, Hurt and comfort, It's a bit OOC, M/M, New Power Unlocked!, Sort Of, being happy, but that's bc it's a new fandom i haven't written for before
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-24 15:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18166862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What could’ve been if time hadn’t gone back at the end of the day that wasn’t.(and some more)





	1. bathtubs and windows

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing something that isn’t skam in actual years, so uuuuuuh, I hope it's alright and people like it.
> 
> This is unedited so if you see mistakes please comment about them and I'll fix them up x

Klaus is still on the ground crying happy tears staring up at Dave when Diego comes back.

“I thought I’d come back and make sure you haven’t died yet.” He says while walking through the door. “What the fuck Klaus.” He runs over and picks him up off the ground.

Klaus closes his eyes and when he opens them Dave is gone and his heart sinks. “What the fuck Diego!” He shouts. 

“Oh what you’d rather I left you on the ground?” Diego tightens the ropes around Klaus’s torso to make sure he can’t get away. Klaus is grateful because if he’s going to get sober he needs to be physically stopped, but he’s also pissed off because Diego scared Dave off.

“Yeah I would actually.” Klaus sighs leaning back into the chair.

“Yeah well too bad, you’re up now.”

“I just got him back you know? And now he’s scared off fuck.” Klaus knows getting sober will help but who knows how much he’s fucked up his power by avoiding it all these years. Who knows if he’ll be able to bring Dave back.

“Yeah well get sober, get your act together and you’ll get him back.” Diego opens a water bottle and holds it up near Klaus’s face, “Open.”

Water is good. Maybe it’ll help him focus more, ground him. Brining people to him always needs stupid concentration when he’s got anything in his system and being freshly on the path to being sober there’s definitely something that’s gonna make it hard.

“Alright I am going to go, but I’ll be back and you better still be here.”

“Right, avenging your loved ones and all that jazz.” Klaus laughs to himself, Diego is a mess but he’s got passion and that’s at least something.

“Yeah well, I’ll see you once I’ve killed those bastards. Good luck or some shit like that”

“Yeah yeah, you too.” Klaus rolls his head back, he just wants Diego to leave so he can try bring Dave back but at this point he’s really dragging it on.

* * *

Diego does leave and it’s good but now Klaus is hating the emptiness. The dead come and go but it’s never who he wants. Ben’s been gone since Diego acted like he’d forgotten about him and he was deeply insulted.

It’s gone dark and Klaus really wants nothing more than to sleep but there’s no way in hell that going to happen while he’s tied to a chair. Eventually someone does come and check on him, it’s Allison who’s been sent by Diego. Klaus would be embarrassed that now she knows how fucked up he really is, but he’s well past the point of caring.

“Do you want me to unite you?” She asks, no introduction which is good. Klaus doesn’t want pointless pleasantries right now.

“Yeah that’d be good. Would be really great to lay down.” Klaus smiles.

“You know I’m proud of you Klaus. I thought that with the world ending all you’d want to do is get as high as you can but no you’re trying to get sober.”

“Yeah well it’s crazy what loving and losing someone can make you do.” Klaus sighs. He guesses that he’s telling Allison as well now.

“They must be special if they’re pushing you to get sober.” She smiles and it’s nice. Comforting even that she doesn’t expect it to be a girl right away. But that’s too sappy for Klaus to think about.

“Yeah he was. He’s kind and strong, rough and beautiful. He was my person you know? My perfect guy.” Klaus smiles remembering. Those ten months with Dave by his side were amazing despite being one of the scariest times.

“I really hope you can see him again.” Allison says, handing the rope over.

“Yeah me too.” Klaus sighs deeply, “Me too.”

Silence hangs heavy in the air, both Klaus and Allison miles away.

“Goodnight Klaus.” She squeezes his arm and leaves the room.

“Goodnight.” Klaus says after her.

Klaus dropped the rope on the chair and leaving.

Once in his room, door shut behind him, he throws himself on his bed. It’s quiet for now, which is rare when he’s sober. No one is with him begging him to talk to their families for them or just screaming nonsense about their deaths. It’s good, he’ll be able to get some sleep now which will help with how bad tomorrows withdrawal will be.

* * *

Klaus wakes up, not really remembering when his thoughts stopped and sleep started but the heavy feeling in his body is a good sign that he slept well.

The way he’s laying quickly gets uncomfortable, he rolls over and jumps half away across the room.

“What the fuck!” He yells. It’s fucking alarming to wake up and make direct eye contact with Diego sitting in the armchair across from his bed.

“Good morning to you too asshole.” Diego says.

“Sorry, just y’know, it’s not normal for me to wake up with you perving over me.” Klaus sits up, dragging the blanket with him. Sure he doesn’t care much about being in his undies around people but right now he feels way too exposed.

“Yeah well I wanted to tell you to get breakfast before I tie you up for today. God that sounds fucking weird.”

“Yeah okay, thank you again, for doing this. I know it’s weird, but I need to see him before the world ends you know.”

“Yeah I get it.”

Diego only lets the quiet hang for a few seconds before coughing and getting up. “Anyways, I’m gonna wait outside for you to get dressed. Mum’s got eggs cooking downstairs so be quick.”

Klaus rushes getting dressed and downstairs eating breakfast. He doesn’t really have any burning desire to go out and high so at least that’s showing him that somethings happening. Maybe having Diego tie him to a chair in the attic instead of going and trying to save the world isn’t a complete waste of time.

* * *

Klaus has no idea how long it’s been now since he was left alone but he feels good. He’s gotten to talk to Ben which always calms him in a way that Klaus can’t quite explain. He’s told him about Dave now, about getting sober.

“I’m happy that you have a reason Klaus” Ben smiles. He’s always been the person who’s wanted Klaus to better himself the most.

“Really? You don’t think I’m being selfish doing this rather than helping the others?” Klaus looks down at his knees. It’s hard to look at his brother when he’s feeling insecure.

“I think you’re doing what you need to be doing. And if that’s selfish then that’s okay, you need to be selfish sometimes.”

Klaus sees Ben crouch down in front of him, holding his palms up. It’s a thing they used to do when he was alive and now pretend, Ben would lay his hands out and Klaus would put his on top. ‘ _Feel my energy and ignore them okay?’_ It’s always brought Klaus back to the moment he needs to be in even now when he’s not able to feel Ben anymore.

Klaus twists his hands around in the rope until he feels something. He get’s goosebumps noticing that shit, he can feel Ben’s hands.

“Holy shit, holy shit, HOLY SHIT!” Klaus bounces in his chair. “What the fuck Ben! What are you doing?”

“I think this is you Klaus.” Ben says.

Klaus feels frozen in shock but also full of energy at the same time. “It can’t be me, what the fuck.”

“It’s gotta be, you’re the weird one who can control the dead!”

“Conjure not control, but anyways I can hardly conjure anyone nowadays why would I be able to touch you?”

“Klaus, you’re sober for the first time in forever, willingly sober. Who knows what you’re capable of and if making me tangible is a thing then it’s definitely coming from you.” Ben smiles the biggest smile Klaus has seen on him since they were little kids and it makes the excited butterflies in his stomach more powerful.

The door to the room they’re in opens suddenly and Diego walks in hurriedly.

“Ben?” Diego freezes behind him.

“You can see him?” Klaus asks.

“No shit I can see him! Is this you? How can I see him?” Diego asks all the questions Klaus already has going through his mind.

“Honestly I have no idea.”

Ben stands up, facing Diego now. “Diego. Wow, you can see me wow.”

“Yeah, wow.” Diego says softly.

All three are quiet, taking in the situation while they can before Ben flickers and Klaus somehow knows that Diego can’t see him anymore.

“Okay I’m getting you out of this room now because clearly this is something we need to figure out.” Diego says, starting to untie the ropes.

“Yeah we do…” Klaus doesn’t like the idea of having semi-freewill but he also knows that this is something he has gotta work out.

* * *

Klaus sits in his room for the next few hours with Ben trying to bring him back. They try so many different things but nothing seems to bring him back into the physical world.

“For fucks sake, this is more exhausting than fighting a war.” Klaus groans, flopping back on his bed.

“Yeah because you’d know what that’s like.” Ben rolls his eyes.

“Yeah actually I would.” Klaus says bluntly.

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah baby. Vietnam 1968, 10 months in the A Shau Valley. No one thought I’d have the guts to go to the front lines, but I really proved them wrong. And Dave? The guy I told you about, he was right there with me through the whole thing.”

“Shit, Klaus why didn’t you tell me.”

“It’s not exactly my favourite thing to talk about. I would’ve told you, I swear! Just maybe after the worlds been saved or we all died or something. No one needs to worry about me when the worlds ending, you included.” Klaus sits on his bed and puts his head in his hands. He feels the bed sink next to him and he tries to not let it distract him, maybe he’s just imagining it to change the topic.

“Does anyone else know?”

“You and Diego. I kind of had a breakdown in a vets bar and he was my ride.” Klaus tries to laugh it off but really he’s glad that at least some people still around him know what happened.

Ben doesn’t say anything, but he does put his arm around Klaus and Klaus can feel it. Neither of them ruin the moment by talking, they’ll figure it out later.

* * *

Klaus spends the rest of the afternoon alone. He doesn’t know where Ben goes when he can’t see him but he doesn’t care right now. It’s still quiet which gets Klaus wondering if maybe he’s got more control over his powers after time traveling. Maybe those ten months where he struggled to find anything strong enough to match what he’s normally on in the present time helped him almost detox in a way that’s helped his powers. Maybe having to deal with seeing so many dead people while on patrol helped him figure out something he really hadn’t before. Maybe he’s okay with not really having a firm answer about anything to do with his power.

Klaus has a bath in his alone time. Usually he takes them to feel even more out of his body, being high and in water is a whole new kind of experience, but now he just wants some familiarity.

He lights candles, opens the window, and closes his eyes. It’s good to do something relaxing after the past few days he’s had. He can just be alone and not have to be thinking about anything specific, no one is talking to him or barking orders. It’s probably the first time he’s felt fully at peace since the last night he had with Dave in a hotel room.

“Klaus?” He opens his eyes to see the only person he’d want around now standing in the corner of his bathroom.

“Dave.” Klaus smiles, “You came back!”

Water sloshes around him as he sits up. “Give me a second I’m just gonna hop out. I’d tell you to close your eyes but I already know you’re not the golden boy you seem to be.” Klaus winks and sets about getting out and wrapping himself up in a towel.

“Shit Klaus. You really weren’t kidding.” Dave smiles, shaking his head slightly.

“Yeah, no shit Sherlock! I told you I see dead people. You shoulda believed me!” For the first time since being back Klaus feels almost like himself again.

“I believed every word you said to me Honey, you know I’m an honest boy!”

“Yeah, you are aren’t you.” Klaus sighs.

He doesn’t want to cry like he did yesterday. He probably will but he doesn’t want to. It’s just so good that he’s been able to bring his love back. The first time his powers have helped him out ever, and he’s actually glad to have them for once.

“You do however have a lot to catch me up on. 2019? How come you don’t look any older than the day I met you?” Dave asks, raising one eyebrow in question. Something that feels so familiar and homelike to Klaus.

“It’s this one magic pill you see, doctors hate me!” Klaus laughs.

“Okay I get it, I’ll ask my questions later.” Dave steps closer, “I do have one for now though, how does this work? Can I touch you?”

“Maybe?” Klaus brings his shoulders up, really unsure.

“Can I try?”

“You can always try touch me baby, you know I’d never say no to you.” Klaus teases.

Dave doesn’t say anything back but does reach out and touches Klaus’s cheek. Klaus nearly explodes when he feels it. His heart breaks and reheals itself all in the same second and he feels so, so good. No words are spoken before they’re kissing. It’s hard and passionate. Fifty years worth of missing each other brought out in one kiss. Sure Klaus’s time felt shorter, but he’d watched Dave die and had no idea he’d ever be able to feel this again before right in this moment.

When the pull apart Dave is wiping tears off of Klaus’s cheeks just for more to fall.

“Don’t cry Love. You know that when you cry I cry.” Dave gives him a soft smile.

“I’m not crying, I’m just really happy. You’re here and I can feel you! I thought I’d lost you forever Dave, but I got sober. I promised you I’d get sober, and now that I am I can see you. I can touch you. Shit, it’s like you’re really still here. I love you so much and I’m so happy you’re here Dave.”

Klaus is overwhelmed but in all good ways. He was never a sap before Dave but now after loosing him and getting him back he doesn’t care. He’ll write poems about his man and shout about him from the top of roof tops if it was enough for Dave to understand how he felt. Klaus brought him back and that’s all that matters now.


	2. more than my own self destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter took way longer to write than intended sorry. I have got a plan for this story. it’s not gonna be klaus x dave entirely based but they’re in it. It’s looking like 5-6 chapters and hopefully I can get it all out.

Back in his room Klaus’s skin is buzzing. It’s not the intense itching that has been present the past few days, but it’s like he’s got something other than blood flowing through his veins. It’s exhilarating and he feels like he could get so much done today.

“Holy shit, this is the cleanest I’ve seen this room… ever” Ben says, finally having come back after yesterday.

“Yeah… Can’t sit still so, tada! Clean room!” Klaus waves his hands around his head.

“Who would’ve thought that three days sober Klaus would be productive.”

“I don’t think it’s just three days sober. I think I have more to live for than my own self destruction finally.” Klaus sighs.

Klaus is being honest with himself for the first time in forever, he cares. He hadn’t had much to live for most of his life, he didn’t see why he was important on missions when he was younger. When he grew up he lost contact with his family, lost Ben, and had to learn how to make friends in his life. He built walls and hid so much from everyone including himself. It was after moving out that Klaus got into harder drugs, whatever he could find or was offered really is what he’d go for.

Addiction is a bitch and Klaus lived for any kind of accelerant he could get his hands on. He didn’t care whether he’d wake up the next morning as long as in that moment he felt good and the ghosts weren’t there. Now he cares if he wakes up. The last ten months of his life he’s cared if he woke up and got to see the next day. Maybe it was the routine of getting up and walking so many kilometres in a day that’s helped push him into a new way of life. Of course having Dave by his side all those months helped so much, and now needing to be sober to have him around is only motivating him to try more, but it really was a combination of things and his new outlook on how he wants to be living.

“I’m really glad to see you like this now Klaus. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to stop the apocalypse now.” Ben suggests.

“Yeah nah, I’ve already done enough fighting for a lifetime.” Klaus says. Despite Vietnam bringing him some of the best things in his life, it was hell. War is never good and Klaus most certainly would never be the poster boy for a good solider. If he could make it happen, he just wanted to live a passive life as much as possible now.

“I know you said you don’t like to talk about it, but are you sure you’re alright after that? I mean obviously you’re not alright, but are you managing?” Ben asks, he’s worried and Klaus can see that.

“You know, I’m three days completely sober and three days out of war where I saw so many people die awful deaths. It’s not exactly easy on my psyche.” Klaus sits down on his bed. “I’m not proud of anything that happened and I’m not proud of being a contributor to destroying others lives. I didn’t know how to get back and the only way to survive was to fight. It was really fucking hard. Seeing things like kids who’d been burnt to death, friends in my unit being shot dead next to me and then seeing them the next night realising what’s happened when their cot is taken over by a newbie. When people say war is hell, they mean it. And I’m gonna guess that most of those dudes don’t see ghost either.”

“I know this is kind of a stupid question, but if it was so bad, why’d you stay?” Ben asks. He looks hurt for Klaus and in some ways it’s comforting.

“At first it was purely because everything was so fast paced that I couldn’t keep up, then when I opened the case nothing happened and I was stuck. But later I started to become adjusted. I made friends and felt like I fit in. I felt like people would care if I went missing unlike those I left here. I also met Dave and he was everything. I didn’t want to abandon him. We had a routine, we’d pair up for patrols, if we were standing guard it’d be together. On our rare nights off we’d go dancing and book a motel to go back to. He appreciated me for everything I was and saw everything I could be. It was comfortable, and then we started planning for after the war. Dave had no family left besides a brother who didn’t speak to him, so we were going to San Fransisco. Live a good life in the liberal state you know? But on our second to last patrol he got shot. I didn’t really think when I came back because it felt like the world was ending, like I was drowning. It was better being back here with my shitty life then there without Dave by my side.” Klaus sighs, it really was the hardest day of his life so far. “And then you know, I get back here and turns out, hey the world is actually ending! Hooray!”

Klaus throws himself back, hands over his face. It’s hard to not make a joke of things when he’s uncomfortable. Emotions are hard for all the Hargreeves but Klaus feels like he has numbed himself for so long that it’s nearly impossible to take himself seriously when he’s hurt like he is now.

“Ben, can I talk to him?” Klaus hears Dave ask. He shouldn’t be surprised that he was listening, he always was looking out for Klaus in the war why would it be any different now.

“Yeah sure. Thanks for talking to me Klaus, I know it’s hard for you.” Klaus feels Ben’s hand on his knee, something that makes him panic a little again, but he guesses it’s something that happens now. His hand is gone and when Klaus opens his eyes he sees Dave next to him.

“You know, I’m really proud of you for coming back here and trying so hard.” Dave starts.

“I know I should be happy about someone fucking finally saying they’re proud of me but right now I really don’t want to talk about it. You were there with me Dave. You know how shit it was and now I’m here and I got you back and the worlds ending and I really don’t want to care anymore.” Klaus says.

“I know you don’t Love, and we don’t have to talk about it. We’ve always found something better to talk and think about, better things to do than worry about the world ending.” Dave smiles, knowing exactly what memories flash through Klaus’s brain. Images of taking shots with linked arms, being soaked in the depths of the jungle but still having the biggest grins because they’re together. Klaus wholeheartedly believes that him and Dave together are the perfect remedy to any tragedy.

“I guess I have a few weird questions, but you might not want to answer them.” Klaus says, Dave has laid next to him and they’re looking at each other.

“If I don’t wanna answer I won’t. Simple.”

“You can’t get mad about me asking ether though okay? The questions might not be the most gentle questions in the world.” Klaus is worried about asking anyone about death, but he kind of thinks that Dave might be the one person who would answer him.

“I won’t get mad I promise. You know that you can ask me anything, that doesn’t mean I’m always gonna answer but you can ask.” Dave reassures Klaus.

“Okay cool.” Klaus takes a second because he wants to break up the conversation a bit. “I’ve asked Ben before and he didn’t want to answer so I completely understand if you don’t want to, but where do you go when I’m not conjuring you?”

“That’s hard to answer cause I’ve only been conjured by you twice intentionally. But most of the time it’s kind of either being asleep and dreaming or just nothing. Dreaming it’s always the same kind of thing. A cottage like we talked about on a farm. I’m the only person there and it’s weird. I definitely know I’m dead when I’m there, but it weirdly feels like that’s where I’m supposed to be. Even though it’s like I’m just waiting for something. The weirdest thing is when I can just watch people living. I guess that’s what people talk about when ghosts are haunting people, just when they hang around and can watch. I don’t like that much though, it felt really creepy. The only person I’ve ever really watched is you and that wasn’t until I realised who you were. That was a trip though.” Dave laughs.

Klaus did tell Dave about being from the future but it must have been hard to believe without actually seeing it. The realisation that Dave has seen Klaus before he went back in time, that Dave could have been there for some of his lowest moments is a lot to take in.

“You saw me?” Klaus asked, shocked.

“Yeah a fair bit. I think there were a few times where you accidentally conjured me when you were a lot younger but it was with a whole bunch of other people and I didn’t really know it was you at the time. I think you must’ve been in your early twenties when I realised who you were and for a few weeks I stuck around just wanting to see who you were and what life was like before I met you but it got kind of hard to watch and I couldn’t talk to you at all so I just stopped watching. I checked in every once in a while just to make sure you were alive but until yesterday not much happened. I heard you talking with your bothers about being kidnapped and stuff and it kind of made sense how we met.”

“Wow, I am so sorry that you had to see me like that. I just stopped being able to deal with the ghosts constantly yelling at me and the only way I could stop it was to do awful things to myself. I just, I’m sorry.” Klaus is almost embarrassed that Dave saw him like that, he feels guilty that he had to.

“Hey, hey. Don’t you dare apologise okay? You went through so much bullcrap growing up and you found a coping mechanism, sure it wasn’t great but who can blame you when no one was there to help. You’ve come so far and that’s what matters. You’re figuring yourself out more and that is so important.” 

Klaus just sighs and moves to push his face in Dave’s chest. He can feel him there and that is almost perfect comfort for him. Dave wraps his arms around Klaus and squeezes him. Klaus never thought he’d get this again. He would never have been completely comfortable having being only able to see Dave, but now that he can touch him it’s almost exactly how it was in those crappy hotel rooms. It is so good that it hurts and brings Klaus to tears.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I should’ve brought you back with me with that stupid case. I was selfish and enjoyed the adrenaline of the war and I could have saved you but I didn’t.” Klaus mumbles into Dave’s shirt. It’s been on his mind since he left. He’d thought about bringing Dave back a lot before he died but he didn’t. He wanted to keep up what they were doing, he was scared of what moving him through time would do. It really made him feel awful that he didn’t.

“It doesn’t matter that you didn’t okay You brought me back still and I’m here with you now Darling. I am so happy for the time we had together fighting, but I’m also glad that you came back here without me. I probably wouldn’t have gone with you, you know how skeptical I get. It was right for me to die there and for you to go back to your family. We’re still together here and that is what matters. I was supposed to die in the war just like you’re going to save the world.” Dave runs his hands through Klaus’s hair while he speaks and Klaus can feel how much he means what he’s saying.

Klaus is almost lost for words, “I love you so much Katz. I know you said that you were meant to die but it still doesn’t make me happy to have seen it happen. I’m still really glad to still be with you and I’m going to try focus on that okay? How even though that happened you’re here. But you’ve got to stick around. Selfishly I need you here if I’m gonna cope with it at all.”

“I’ll be here as long as you need me, and then some more.” Dave gives Klaus a soft smile that settles something inside of him.

Klaus needs to be kissing his man right now so he does. Dave holds his face and Klaus grips his shirt. It feels completely natural and is exactly what Klaus needs.

They’re startled apart when a loud shout and thump sounds through the house. Klaus yells himself when he leans back in and goes straight through Dave.

“No, fuck! No.” Klaus gets up frustrated now.

He has no idea how he’s been controlling his powers and he knows that it’s going to be a bitch to figure out. He also knows that whatever noise was downstairs he’s going to have to go check out because all of his siblings mean trouble in different ways and the whole looming apocalypse thing only means worse.

He leaves his room, seeing Dave follow behind him, and rushes downstairs to the main dining room and bar area they all seem to be drawn to. He opens the door to Diego standing defensively. He walks in further to see what happened or if his brother is just being a doof who’s hurt himself somehow.

“Five?” Klaus asks. Standing in the middle of the room stood both the oldest and youngest of the family, who also coincidentally had been missing since the meet up with Hazel and Cha-Cha. “What the fuck?”

“We don’t exactly have time to ask stupid question Klaus, the world is ending.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some context: I think that Klaus can control when he wants ghosts to be able to touch him but it’s mostly to do with him subconsciously wanting it until he can figure out how to control it. It would have a little to do with emotions but mostly what he needs in that moment.  
> I also think that ghosts can heal from how they died once they understand and accept their deaths hence why Ben looks normal and why I haven’t written Dave’s wound into this

**Author's Note:**

> woah I did it, anyways if any of you are interested in more stuff and wanna send prompts or anything come over to my tumblr [human-ouija](http://human-ouija.tumblr.com/)


End file.
